Reviews & Readings

6th May, 2008

This weekend I did a reading at Hexham Book Festival along with Pete Tanton (Jonny Lonely) and Stephen Shieber (Being Normal).  We were there to read from our work and to discuss our experiences of mentoring.

Anna from New Writing North made the pertinent point that these days publishers seem to want a finished product, and are less keen to spend time on the editing process than previously, so many writers are turning to mentors or agencies like The Literary Consultancy/Gold Dust to get that much needed critical eye on their manuscript.

I felt good about my reading.  I'm beginning to learn a few things about public readings that I shall share with the group. 

By stumbling through a few terrible ones and then gradually working it through, I think I have a few suggestions on how not to 'die' in front of an audience - whether it sells the book I'm still to find out.

1. Choose something exciting/funny/with a hook

2.Don't have too many characters - the audience don't know who they are - and off the page, unless you are excellent at voices, it is hard for them to differentiate.

3. Be passionate.  If you sound sleepy and bored then why shouldn't they be.

4. Don't be scared of going first.  The audience will be at their most perky for the first reading.  It's much harder to go later when they have already heard half an hour of reading.

5. Try to enjoy it! 

And on the subject of REVIEWS.  I had this strange magical idea that I would find it okay to deal with negative feedback.  The rational, intelligent woman in me knows that not everyone will like my writing.  Some people might even hate it.  There will be as many reasons for peoples' responses as there are people.  I know all of this.  And I thought I was prepared.  I thought I shall remind myself of how lucky I am to have my book published in the first place.  How many people would be delighted by the opportunity. 

I thought, I will not miss the fun by fearing the feedback!

But you know something. Even after the lovely comments made to me following my reading on Sunday.  Even after a complete stranger stopped me on the street later that day to say that they had 'Loved' my reading, all it took was a small sideways comment from a friend and I was back on the metaphorical bathroom floor.

And I realised how unprepared I am.  For some water will fly off their backs - Sadly, I am not that duck.

So, May, June and July are going to be spent emotionally buffeting and dragging out some security sandbags - just in case there are challenging days ahead.

I need to grow some tougher skin...

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